RusVelo wins all three main nominations of GP of Sochi
RusVelo team won the individual, team and points standings of the GP of Sochi, a week-long race that finished this weekend. The final stage didn’t transform the very top of the GC, but put in some notable changes: last year’s winner Vitaly Buts (KOLLS) failed to hold on to the third position and gave it up to the Russian Dmitry Samokhvalov. The Ukrainian all-rounder Maxim Vasiliev (ISD) won stage 6; the best of RusVelo’s riders Igor Boev came in six with all of his teammates finishing in the leading group. RusVelo’s Sergey Lagutin came up on the second step of the final GC podium and Roman Maikin won the points jersey ahead of Vitaly Buts.
Ilnur Zakarin, GC winner: “I made up my mind to focus on stage races this year, working on different qualities it takes to succeed in them. Now this hard work is starting to pay off. It was a grueling race, but it brought me a lot of pleasure, to be a part of a fine-tuned and perfectly united team, a squad of friends. Strategically we didn’t make any mistakes, taking control of the event in the very first stage when we gave it everything with Sergey Lagutin on the final stretch. And they team never let it go until the very end. I tried to pay them off and, whenever possible, helped the guys in contesting the stages. There will be little rest for me as I the racing schedule is tuff, culminating at the Giro del Trentino”.
Renat Khamidulin, RusVelo team manager: “It is an honor for us to win here, especially in this style. Historically it has always been the most prestigious and the most demanding race, first in the Soviet Union, than in Russia. It has been a springboard for all the big Russian champions in stage racing. We hope it will fully apply to our team too”.
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